Hillside Dams also called Hillside Dams Conservancy is a national monument of
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
located in the city of
Bulawayo.
History
The Hillside Dams area history dates back to the Stone Age as there were various Stone Age tools and rock shelters discovered within the area. In the 19th century it was one of
King Lobengula's favourite villages to relax at. In 1895
Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
n workers started constructing infrastructure for commercial water supply. It was then that the name Hillside Dams was adopted after completion of the structures in 1898. Unfortunately the structure collapsed.
In 1924 the Hillside Dams were sold to
Bulawayo City Council
Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council cl ...
, and the dams for water supply were changed. Thereafter the area became a low density residential suburb known as Hillside. In 1942 Hillside Dams was designated as a National Monument.
Features
Flora
The woodland vegetation of Hillside Dams is mainly dominated by ''
Terminalia
Terminalia may refer to:
* Terminalia (festival), a Roman festival to the god of boundaries Terminus
* ''Terminalia'' (plant), a tree genus
* Terminalia (insect anatomy), the terminal region of the abdomen in insects
* ''Polyscias terminalia'', a ...
'', ''
Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
'', ''
Burkea'', ''
Sclerocarya
''Sclerocarya'' is a genus of plants in the family Anacardiaceae.
There are two species:
* ''Sclerocarya birrea'' (A.Rich.) Hochst. — sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar
::''S. birrea'' subsp. ''caffra'' (Sond.) Kokwaro
::''S. birrea'' subsp. ''mu ...
'' and ''
Peltophorum
''Peltophorum'' is a genus of 5–15 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. The genus is native to certain tropical regions across the world. The species are medium-sized to large trees growing up to 15†...
''. The trees are labelled by numbers and you can refer somewhere to the meanings of the numbers. There is also an Aloe Garden with different types of ''
Aloe vera
''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.
An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...
''.
[
]
Fauna
Hillside Dams is a proclaimed bird sanctuary, but has few mammals.[
]
Geology
The dominant rock in the area is Syenite. There are a lot of kopjes and scattered rock boulders.[
]
Recreational Activities
* Canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
* Ziplining
* Barbecuing
* Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
* Nature Walk
* Picnic
A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...
s
External links
Official Website
References
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